Awkward Beginnings
by LainellaFay
Summary: AU. Life isn't like a dramatic movie. It can be so simple. We just make it harder. We may fumble, we may stutter, we may also face awkward silences. But, doesn't it always work out in the end? NiouxMarui
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT.**

Hello! So...I decided to try out another HaruMaru fanfic. This pairing is taking over my brain. I swear! I think only about HaruMaru. Heck, I DREAM about them! (Not that I hate it, but...) So yeah...decided to just write this...

This is an AU fanfic - the characters are about 18 years old. Set in University - 18 is the age where we leave high school and enter University in Australia, so...I'll just leave it as that...

Anyways, enjoy~

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**Awkward Beginnings: Chapter 1  
**

"Hey."

Marui looked up from his messily arranged desk. A male, who seemed to be of the same age as the red head himself, was standing beside his desk. The silver haired male had a lazy posture, hands casually shoved into his black skinny jeans' pockets, his head had a slight tilt as his blue eyes focused on the red head.

"Is this seat free?" The silver head asked, slightly lifting up his chin to gesture to the seat beside Marui's own seat, which Marui was using to place his bag. His blue eyes quickly flickered back to Marui as he waited for an answer.

"Um…" Marui frantically dropped the pen that he was holding onto the desk, letting it roll off somewhere. He pushed his chair backwards with a loud _'squeak'_, turned to the chair with his bag on it and grabbed his bag off it. It would seem like an easy job, unfortunately for Marui, his bad luck caused his bag's strap to get caught onto the chair. When he yanked his bag off, due to the caught strap, the chair scrapped along the floor towards Marui and hit him hard on the knee.

Marui bit his bottom lip, hard, so hard that he could taste blood, as he resisted the urge to scream. He was in a lecture hall, and screaming would only cause a huge disruption and Marui was sure that the lecturer would not be pleased about it.

Marui glanced at the silver haired male without lifting his head up, trying to see the stranger's reaction. Strangely, the silver head had no reaction at all, or even if he did, Marui did not notice it. He was still in the same position, the same lazy posture and was waiting patiently for Marui to finish doing his…stuff.

Marui used his shaky fingers to get his bag strap free. It might have only taken a few seconds, but to Marui, who felt pressure under the gaze of a stranger, it felt like millions of years. When he had finally released it without further accidents, Marui sheepishly placed his bag down onto the floor on the other side of him, and said, "Yeah, it's free."

He could feel his cheeks get hot. _'Argh! I'm so stupid!'_ He thought as he heard shuffling of shoes against the floor, indicating that the silver head was in the process of sitting down onto the seat.

Marui couldn't believe that he had managed to embarrass himself in front of someone whom he didn't know. Embarrass himself by not being able to do a simple task without any accidents! Even though the silver head had not made any comments about it, and was silent throughout, not even a judging gaze, Marui still felt that the stranger was thinking about how much of a clutz he was.

Remembering about his discarded pen, Marui searched through the piles of messily placed sheets of papers, when he realised that the male beside him was simply staring at the desk, unmoving. Marui felt the familiar shape of his pen and grabbed it, before turning to look at his side, wondering why the silver head wasn't doing anything.

His eyes followed the silver head's gaze and Marui nearly facepalmed himself.

Of course!

Marui inwardly groaned. How could he have been so stupid?

The desk!

The desk was covered with Marui's sheets of papers and the silver head had no space to put any of his own stuff.

"I'm so sorry." Marui mumbled under his breath as he hurriedly tried to gather the sheets of paper into a nice neat pile, away from the stranger's side of the table.

Marui heard a soft chuckle. He paused in his actions, tilting his head to look at the silver head. The silver haired male was laughing, eyes twinkling with amusement. Marui felt a blush creep up his face.

"It's okay." Came the deep voice from the silver head, his blue eyes now fixed onto Marui's face. Marui was certain that his cheeks were the same colour as his red hair at that moment, and broke eye contact, turning to focus on his task of arranging the papers.

Marui eventually managed to arrange his papers neatly, and out of the silver head's way. Marui watched the stranger from the corner of his eye, watched him slowly place his black and white sling bag down onto the floor, take a silver pencil case out of said bag and onto the cleared desk.

Marui ignored the lecture and continued to watch as the silver head dug through his bag for something, only to give up and tap his mechanical pencil on the wooden desk.

_ Tap. Tap. Tap._

The rhythmic sounds of the tapping pencil reminded Marui of something, but he couldn't place a finger onto it.

Marui forced his attention back onto the lecturer when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He shifted his gaze back onto the silver head.

"Do you have any spare paper?"

Marui blinked slowly.

_ Once._

_Twice._

Paper. He let the words process in his brain before nodding his head vigorously, causing the silver head to softly chuckle again.

Marui handed him a few sheets of paper and the silver head took it with a soft, "Thanks."

Marui looked back to the front. The lecture was boring him. He allowed his eyes to shut as he rested his head on his palms. He could hear the lecturer's monotonous tone drone on and on in the background.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

There came the tapping sounds of the silver head's pencil hitting the desk again. Marui tilted his head so that he was facing his companion. Opening his eyes, he noticed that his companion was as bored as him, eyes unfocused, probably thinking of something else.

"Hey." Marui unintentionally said, only to place a hand over his mouth when he realised that he had spoken.

_'Crap. What did I do?'_

Marui wasn't one to strike up a conversation first. He'd normally wait for people to speak to him before answering. Whatever made him speak to this stranger first?

While Marui was inwardly panicking, the silver head glanced down at him, his blue eyes questioning.

_'Shit! He heard me. Of course he did idiot. What did you think he was. Deaf? Oh my god, what do I say?'_ Marui's mind was a mess, as he struggled to think of something to say.

"'Sup?" He ended up saying, only to use one hand to hide his embarrassed face.

_'Sup? Of all things, I say sup?'_

"Normal people would say 'the ceiling' in this situation, but since that's too mainstream, I'll settle with the lecturer killing my brain cells with his monotonous droning." The silver head replied with a grin on his face.

Marui slowly blinked a few times. He hadn't expected the other to reply, let alone try to reply with something witty.

"That wasn't funny was it?"

Marui shook his head slowly. "Not really."

"Ah." The silver head placed his pencil down on the desk and rested his own head on his palms, similar to the posture that Marui was in, turning so that he was face to face with the red head.

"Name's Niou. Niou Masaharu. Yours?" He asked with a smile.

"Marui. Marui Bunta."

"I see."

"…"

"Well…" There was a slight pause. "Nice to meet you?"

"Ah. Likewise." Marui said.

There was silence after that, as both had nothing else to say to each other. They both turned away, breaking the eye contact and Marui faintly remembered hearing the lecturer's voice droning on and on in the background.

That was how they first met.

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**A/N: Read and review please**

I'll update this, but the updates would be slow. Considering that I hadn't planned on writing this beforehand, I really don't know what would happen next. Also, my skill at writing romance is like...nonexistent (Same goes for humour - as you can see from Niou's reply to Marui's "'Sup").

So...we'll see. If I get ideas, and if I have time, I'll update.

Hope you liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT.**

Oh, hey, I updated earlier than I expected. Happy? Or simply don't care? xD

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**Awkward Beginnings: Chapter 2  
**

Neither of them expected to speak to each other again.

Sure, they saw each other briefly during lectures, but neither bothered to give the other a second glance.

Marui was sitting at a row that was near the back, not right at the back, but near the back. His sheets of papers sprawled out on the table, taking up space meant for three people. At least, no one complained. They just left two seats on either side of Marui free, one of which Marui used to place his bag.

He had been trying to balance his pencil on his lips for the past 10 minutes, mouth shaped like a duck, moving his body slightly from side to side, hoping that the pencil didn't drop off.

"-work in groups of three-"

_Bonk._

His pencil fell on the desk with a soft thud. Marui's violet eyes widened.

_Groups of three._

"-research project-"

_Research project._

_Groups of three._

Those words ran through Marui's mind over and over again, replaying itself like a broken recorder.

Marui hadn't exactly been very sociable during the past few months at the university. He didn't bother trying to strike up a conversation with anyone, excluding the tiny little conversation that lasted for less than a minute with Niou. He didn't feel the need to. Until now.

Marui glanced around.

He didn't know a single soul in the tutorial class.

Wait...

Marui twisted his upper body and placed his hands on the back of his chair, searching for a face in the back row.

There. Right at the corner of the room, was a silver head who had his feet up on the desk, hands behind his head, rocking his chair back and forth, and gazing up at the ceiling, obviously not paying any attention to the class.

Marui lightly bit his bottom lip.

_'Should I?'_

Niou didn't seem like the kind to be easy to approach. Marui sighed.

_'Nah, I should just wait for other people to ask me.'_

Marui shook his head vigorously. _'No. I can't have that kind of mentality anymore. I have to make the first move.'_

His parents kept nagging him about how he should make more friends. Due to his life motto, _'Speak only when spoken to'_, Marui hadn't been very close to any of his High School friends. Therefore, after leaving High School, he had lost contact with all of them. Traces of them ever being friends vanished when school ended.

Marui looked left and right. People were already getting into groups and it seemed as though Niou was the only one left without a group. Marui started to panic.

He took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. His focused his attention back onto the silver head, his violet eyes flared with a new emotion.

Marui pushed his chair backwards slowly, placing one foot in front of the other, climbing up the steps and walking quietly towards Niou. He was frightened, frightened to the core. He didn't know what made him so scared, but he was, and that was all that mattered.

Beads of perspiration formed on Marui's forehead as he got closer and closer to Niou.

As he got nearer, Marui noticed that Niou was using headphones. Marui squinted his eyes slightly, Beats. Niou was wearing black Beats headphones. Marui also noticed that Niou was moving his feet, probably moving it along with the music. Niou's eyes were also closed, he wasn't gazing up at the ceiling like Marui had thought earlier.

"Um…"

There was no reply.

Niou probably didn't hear him.

Marui fiddled with his fingers before sucking in another large amount of air. He reached forwards and tapped Niou lightly on the shoulder, quickly pulling back and bringing his hands together on his chest.

Niou cracked one eye open. He saw Marui standing there timidly and slipped off his headphones, placing it down gently onto the desk. He also brought his feet down from the table and onto the floor, his chair now perfectly stable on all four legs, instead of two.

"What is it?"

Marui opened his mouth, before closing it again quickly.

Niou tilted his head in confusion. He leant forwards and placed his right elbow on the desk, resting his head on it as he stared at Marui, who was fidgeting with the bottom of his grey jacket.

"Ma…Marui-san was it?" Niou confirmed.

Marui nodded, his violet eyes now meeting Niou's blue orbs.

"Is there anything that you need?" Niou asked again.

"Um…" There was a pause. "We…have this project to do and um…"

Marui ran his fingers through his red hair, looking away from Niou and onto the floor.

Niou didn't respond, and was instead, waiting for Marui to continue.

"We have to work in threes…so…" Marui stopped. Niou could see that the shorter boy was turning red.

_'He's a shy one.'_ Niou thought. _'Wait. Was he that shy before? Oh...wait, never mind, we didn't talk much anyways.'_

True, their conversation a few weeks before was a little bit too short for Marui to stutter or anything.

"I was thinking of asking whether you'd want to work together." Marui finally blurted out. His eyes were tightly shut and his eyebrows were furrowed together, awaiting Niou's reply.

_Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump._

Marui's heart pounded loudly, and he was certain that the silver head could hear it.

There was a long and painful silence.

Marui slowly opened an eye and looked at Niou, wondering why the silver head hadn't replied.

_'Shit. Is he going to reject? Maybe I should have found someone else. Ah darn it!'_

Unexpectedly, Niou was smiling. It was just a small one, but it made Marui's anxieties disappear with a _poof._

He slowly opened the other eye and dropped his hands to his side, eyebrows raised as he looked at Niou weirdly.

"So…?" He asked softly.

"Haha. You're funny." Niou laughed.

"What?" Marui opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, standing there dumbfounded as the silver head continued to laugh.

"Yeah sure. We can work together." Niou replied, his eyes twinkling.

Marui let the words process before smiling widely. He was so happy and relieved that he didn't hear Niou speaking.

"Marui-san?" He saw Niou waving his hand right in front of his face.

"Ah! Yes?" Marui nearly jumped five feet in the air.

"You said that we needed to work in threes right?"

Marui nodded.

"We need one more person then."

Marui formed an 'o' with his mouth. He had forgotten about that.

Marui didn't hear footsteps approaching from behind him. He only saw the change in Niou's expression before swirling around and saw a bald, slightly darker skinned male standing right behind him.

"Hey…um…" The male rubbed the back of his bald head. "Can I join you guys?"

Marui rotated his head to look at Niou. The silver head had donned a poker face, shrugging as if he didn't care. Maybe he didn't. Marui looked back at the bald man, who was now starting to look worried.

"Um…is it not okay? Should I go?" He asked nervously, his hand, that was behind his head earlier, was now down by his side.

"Ah. No. No." Marui waved his hands in the air. "It's okay, we need one more person anyways."

The bald male looked at Marui and smiled. "Thank you! Thanks so much!"

"Heheh. It's fine…" Marui sheepishly replied, trying to hide his expression with his red bangs.

"So…" Niou suddenly said, "Any of you know what we're meant to do?"

Marui tried to recall, but shook his head a few moments later. He hadn't been listening to the teacher as he had been too busy trying to balance his pencil on his mouth. Niou obviously hadn't been paying attention, seeing that he didn't even know that they had to form groups.

Thus, the both of them turned to look at the bald male. He was their last hope.

Luckily, he replied with an, "I know."

Marui let out a sigh of relief.

"My name is Jackal Kuwahara by the way." Jackal introduced himself, holding out a hand. "You can just call me Jackal."

Marui blinked, staring at Jackal's outstretched hand, as if wondering what he was meant to do with it.

Jackal noticed Marui's discomfort before saying, "Um…handshake?"

"Oh." Marui gripped the other's hand in a firm handshake and introduced himself, "I'm Marui Bunta…"

He released his hand from the handshake and continued, "Um…Marui's fine."

Jackal nodded and shifted his attention onto Niou, who was still in the same position as he was before. Head on palm, elbow on table.

"Niou. Niou Masaharu." He said. "Niou's fine since we're basically just ditching the honorifics."

The three of them then exchanged contact numbers and discussed about how they were going to complete their research project together.

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**A/N:** **Read and review please.**

The relationship between Niou and Marui is going to be pretty slow, as I want to build up their friendship first. At this moment, they are still pretty much strangers...

Marui's going to change! Just how much will he change? :D

Yay. Jackal's in there now. I'll probably add the other Rikkai regulars in there somewhere. SOMEWHERE... (They won't be a main part of the plot though.)

Okay, I'm not sure how University works, since I'm not there yet... Just think of this as a parallel universe where University works this way? xD (I'm asking my sister for help, but, still, it's not the same as the one actually experiencing it.)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT. Nothing. Sadly. **

The updates may be quicker than I originally thought. Ideas are flowing!

So, here you go.

* * *

**Awkward Beginnings: Chapter 3  
**

Marui felt that chatting online with people who you don't know too well was way easier than speaking to strangers face to face. Was it because of the computer screen that separates him from the other?

**_Jackal: Do you guys want to go to the library or something? We can share what we've found there._**

**_Marui: I'm fine with that. _**

Marui was sitting cross-legged on his swivel chair, in front of the laptop, right hand in a packet of potato chips, munching on the chips with a loud _crunch_ every few seconds. The research project that they had been working on was due in a few days. And being boys, immature boys, they had left all of the work to the last minute, desperately rushing to finish it on time for the presentation. Marui stared at the screen for a few moments.

He placed his hand back into the packet of chips, feeling around for more. Marui frowned when he only felt the smooth plastic. Shifting his gaze from the screen, he peered into the packet and sighed. He had just finished the whole thing. Crushing it, Marui threw it with precision into the waste basket, rejoicing with a fist pump when it went in through the middle.

When he looked back on the screen, there had been another line of chat in the chat box.

**_Jackal: Niou? You there?_**

Marui looked at the corner of his eye and spotted a familiar looking packet. He slowly brought his hand to it but stopped halfway.

_'No.'_

Marui quickly pulled his hand back onto the keyboard, eyes looking for something on the laptop screen in an attempt to distract himself from the temptation.

**_Niou: Nah...don't want to. Just send it through email or something._**

**_Jackal: Dude why? We need to get this done quick._**

**_Niou: Lazy._**

**_Jackal: Serious?_**

**_Niou: Serious._**

**_Marui: Did you do your part of the research?_**

**_Niou: Yeah..._**

**_Jackal: Then why don't you want to go?_**

**_Niou: Reasons._**

**_Marui: What reasons?_**

**_Jackal: Yeah what?_**

**_Niou: You guys are acting like mums. _**

**_Marui: ..._**

**_Jackal: Niou, man, spit it out already._**

**_Niou: Fine. _**

**_Niou: 'Cause I'm only in my boxers and am too lazy to change._**

Marui blinked a few times, hands hovering above the keyboard, reading Niou's last sentence over and over again.

**_Niou: Guys...still with me?_**

Marui had been too stunned to reply. Apparently, so was Jackal.

**_Marui: You serious?_**

**_Niou: Yeah._**

**_Jackal: Why the hell are you only in your boxers? No, don't answer. Too much information dude. _**

**_Niou: You asked. _**

Marui laughed. After chatting with Niou a few times online, he had found that Niou wasn't scary at all. He may have had the look of a delinquent of some sort, but he certainly wasn't like it at all.

**_Jackal: Ignoring what have just happened. _**

**_Niou: Like I said, you asked._**

**_Jackal: What are we going to do about the work?_**

**_Marui: Email?_**

**_Niou: That's what I freaking said before._**

**_Jackal: Sent. _**

**_Marui: That was quick._**

**_Niou: Maybe that's because Jackal isn't a slowpoke like you._**

**_Marui: HEY!_**

**_Jackal: Guys, sending?_**

**_Marui: Yeah, in the process of doing so. _**

**_Niou: Sent._**

**_Marui: Done. _**

**_Marui: Who's making the powerpoint?_**

**_Jackal: We're doing a powerpoint?_**

**_Marui: How else are we presenting?_**

**_Niou: Powerpoint it is. _**

**_Jackal: Ok. _**

**_Jackal: Together?_**

**_Marui: We have to meet up then._**

**_Niou: Not today. _**

**_Marui: Fine. Not today. _**

**_Jackal: Tomorrow? We don't have much time._**

**_Niou: Yeah yeah whatever. _**

**_Marui: We really should have done this earlier._**

**_Niou: Who would?_**

**_Marui: Procrastination's a bitch._**

**_Jackal: Library tomorrow then. Niou drag your ass out even if you don't want to. _**

**_Niou: -rolls eyes-_**

**_Jackal: Marui and I will kick you out of your house if we have to._**

**_Marui: We will?_**

**_Jackal: HEY WORK WITH ME HERE!_**

**_Niou: Fail._**

**_Marui: Yes fail._**

**_Niou: You're the one that failed._**

**_Marui: Shut it. _**

**_Niou: Whatever. I'm out. _**

**_-Niou has gone offline-_**

**_Jackal: Yeah...see you tomorrow._**

**_Marui: Hm._**

**_-Jackal has gone offline-_**

**_-You have signed out-_**

Marui looked at the wall behind his laptop. His white wall had been covered with various band posters, coloured paper with scribbles on them, and old artwork from his childhood days.

"I really need to clean this up." Marui muttered, shutting his laptop screen down and bringing his feet down onto the ground.

_'Where's the stupid calendar?'_ Marui scanned the wall, while his hands ran along the edge of his desk, trying to find a pen or something to write with.

_'Ah, there it is.'_ Marui looked down at his empty hands. _'Now where's my pen?'_

Marui sighed and bent down, reaching into his bag and pulling out his pencil case. Grabbing a pen, he twirled it around with his right hand for a while and placed his pencil case down onto the desk, looking back at his wall.

Marui frowned. _'Now where's that stupid calendar again?'_ Thus, beginning his search for the calendar for the second time.

After completing that simple yet tedious task, Marui chucked his pen back into his pencil case and plopped back down onto his swivel chair, turning left and right while he tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. Paint was falling off his ceiling. Marui frowned again.

_'I'm not repainting that.'_

There was a knock on his bedroom door. Before Marui could even reply, the door creaked open and his mother's head popped in through the gap. She pushed the door open further and sighed, staring at the mess on the floor.

"Bunta. Clean this mess up."

"Yeah..."

Marui's mother placed his hands on her hips. "I'm serious. If you don't clean this up, I'll throw it all away."

"Yeah..."

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah..."

"BUNTA!"

"What?" Marui drawled, turning so that he was looking at his mother.

"Clean this up. Right. Now."

"Argh. Fine." Marui groaned, pushing himself off the swivel chair and stood at the middle of his room, rotating his head around and simply staring at the mess.

"That's not cleaning."

"Yeah yeah, I'm getting to that." Marui rolled his eyes, bending down and picking up a pile of clothes that had been thrown carelessly onto the carpet.

"Have you finished your work?"

"Yeah..."

His mother frowned, placing a finger on her temple. She watched on as Marui chucked the stuff that he picked up from the floor onto his bed.

"Bunta. What are you doing?"

Marui paused in his actions. "Cleaning...?"

"You're just tossing stuff from the floor onto the bed!"

"So...?"

"You're 18 for goodness sake! Learn how to clean up after yourself!" His mother yelled, dropping her hands to her side.

She continued watching her son for a few more seconds, before giving up with a growl and stomping over to him.

"Let me do it!" She pointed over to his bed. "Sit down there. No don't just throw the clothes back onto the floor!"

Marui casually lied down onto his bed and grabbed his iPod from the bedside table, letting his mother do the cleaning for him.

"Bunta. Have you made any new friends?"

Marui stared at his mother for a few moments, watching her as she threw crumpled balls of paper into the waste basket.

"...maybe."

He heard a sigh. "You need to learn how to approach others you know? Don't wait for them to come to you. Go to them."

"Mum. Stop."

"I'm saying this for your sake. You can't continue this way. See what happened to your High School friends?"

"Mum, seriously stop."

"If you want me to stop, then at least show me that you're trying."

"I'm trying, mum, okay?"

She paused, turning to look at Marui. "Are you seriously trying?"

Marui dropped his iPod down onto the mattress, running his fingers through his hair, using his other hand to cover his eyes. "Yes. I'm trying. Really."

Marui's mother's eyes softened a little. "I see."

Marui heard shuffling of papers. His mother probably went back to cleaning his room. Marui lifted his hand off his face.

_'It's not as easy as you think...'_

_Thud._

Marui jolted up, putting his weight on his elbows, twisting his body a bit so that he was looking at his mother. Beside her, was the waste basket, balls of paper rolled out of it and onto the carpet. Marui moved his eyes to his mother's hand. In her hand, was that packet. That packet that Marui had been so tempted to take earlier.

_'Shit.'_

Marui flopped back down onto his back and turned so that his back was towards his mother, and stared at the wall.

"Bunta...What. Is. This?"

He could hear the fury in his mother's voice.

"LOOK AT ME!"

Marui slowly turned onto his other side, looking up at his mother, who was seething in anger. She was waving that packet in the air.

"Why do you have this packet of gum in your room?" She wasn't yelling, but Marui knew from her tone that he was in deep trouble.

"Answer me."

Marui darted his eyes left and right, avoiding eye contact with his mother. "It was from ages ago."

His mother narrowed her eyes.

"I swear, I didn't touch it."

"I swear, mum, I really didn't touch it." Marui repeated.

"I'm throwing this away." His mother finally said, after a long silence. "I don't want to see any more sweets in your room. You hear me?"

"Yes." Marui closed his eyes, rolling back on his back. He placed his earphone into his ears and listened to his favourite band. Breathe in, breathe out. In. Out. In. Out.

It wasn't until his mother finally left his room did Marui open his eyes. Sitting up, he shifted so that his back was leaning on the wall.

_'What time is it?'_ Marui glanced around for his clock.

6:32pm. Was the time that was flashing brightly in red on his digital clock.

_'Dinner soon...'_

Marui pulled his legs up against his chest, placing his head face down on his knees and started to hit himself on the back of his head with his hand.

_'Argh. Why did I have to let her see it?'_

Marui stopped whacking himself and looked up, muttering a small, "Ow," when he hit his head against the wall.

Marui stayed in that position for a few minutes, before he remembered that he had something to do.

_'Shit! The notes!'_

Marui scrambled off his bed and jumped onto his swivel chair, typed in his password for his laptop hurriedly and went into his email. Marui knew that he was going to have a long night.

.~.

The trio met at the University campus's library. When Marui arrived, Jackal and Niou were already there, laptops out and typing frantically.

"Am I late?"

Marui pulled out a chair beside Niou and sat down, leaning towards the side to look at Niou's screen.

What Marui saw made him roll his eyes. Niou hadn't been 'typing frantically' like he had thought. Niou was playing a MMORPG game. Marui leaned back into his seat and looked at Jackal, who was sitting opposite Niou.

"Please tell me that you're doing work, unlike Niou here."

Marui raised an eyebrow in confusion. Why didn't he stutter? Was he getting used to them?

Jackal looked up from his screen, spotting Marui's red hair and said, "Oh, didn't see you there."

Marui sighed. "I've been talking..."

"Oh." Jackal paused. "Didn't hear you?"

Marui didn't reply the bald man, instead, diverted his attention towards Niou and looked at the silver head as he played his game. Niou was so engrossed in his game that he didn't seem to realise that Marui was staring at him.

_Poke._

Marui poked Niou in the ribs, expecting a reaction of some kind from the silver head.

Nothing.

Niou didn't flinch, jump, nor did he make a sound. Marui wondered if Niou didn't feel him poking him.

Niou slowly turned his head, and blue eyes met violet. "I'm not ticklish Marui."

"Wasn't trying to tickle you." Marui shrugged. "Wanted to get your attention."

"What?"

"Work?"

"Oh."

Marui watched as Niou logged off from his game.

"Jackal, get off from whatever you're doing." Niou said.

Marui heard a grunt from the other side.

It took a few minutes for the two of them to settle down and actually start studying.

"So..." Marui said.

"So..." Niou copied.

The three of them looked at each other.

"Okay, let's start."

.~.

_"The library will be closing in 30 minutes."_

Marui lifted his head up after hearing the announcement.

_'What? It's closing? How long have we been in here?'_

"Should we go?" Jackal asked. "We're almost done I guess."

"Woah. Shit. It's late." Niou exclaimed after looking at the time.

"Really?" Marui checked the clock on his own laptop. "Oh crap!"

_'Mum's going to kill me.'_

"Going?" Jackal asked again.

"Yeah, I need to, um, go." Marui replied, grabbing the sheets of paper that he had lying around on the desk, as well as slamming library books shut.

"Marui, you in a rush?"

Marui looked up, hands never stopping as he threw stuff into his bag. Marui knew that the papers would get crumpled but he didn't care at that moment.

"I'll help you keep the books, you can go first." Niou offered.

"Really?" Marui smiled. "Thanks Niou!"

"No problem."

Marui slung his bag over his shoulder and pushed his chair in with a _squeak._

"See you guys."

"Bye."

.~.

"Why are you so late?" Marui saw his mother standing at the front door, hands on her hips. He had gotten to one step away from the door before it had swung open to reveal his angry mother.

"We were doing our work and lost track of time." Marui shivered when a gust of cold wind blew past. He tugged his coat closer towards his body and looked at his mother, with a silent plea for her to let him into the warm and cosy house.

"You could have told me."

"I'm sorry, I forgot."

"Don't ever let this happen again." She moved, allowing Marui to step in. "Did you know how worried I was?"

"I'm sorry."

"Go and take a shower." She pushed him towards the stairs. "I'll tell your father that you're back."

"Okay."

Marui stepped into his room, wiping his hair dry with a white, fluffy towel. He looked at his phone for a second and saw that there was a message.

It was from Niou.

**_Jackal said that we have to create the speech. _**

Marui groaned, placing his head down onto his table.

Stupid research project.

.~.

Marui played with the sleeves of his blazer. All three of them, Jackal, Niou and Marui, were well-dressed for their presentation that day.

Marui sat in the middle, Niou on his right and Jackal on his left. Niou was slouching down in his seat, hands shoved into his pants pockets, chewing on a piece of gum that smelled like mint. Not green apple that Marui used to love, but plain mint. Jackal was tugging on his tie, loosening it and tightening it again.

They were going to go up after the next group's presentation. Marui looked at the file on the desk, then looked up to find out that the current group had finished presenting. Marui clapped in politeness. The next group was walking up to the front.

Marui sucked in a deep breath. He hated presentations. He always felt like he would mispronounce certain words, or bite his tongue while presenting. Marui crossed his feet under the chair and shook them, trying to get himself to stop being nervous.

It wasn't helping.

Marui turned to look at Niou, wondering how the silver head could seem to carefree. Niou had no sign of being nervous at all. Even Jackal was nervous, Marui could tell from how he was tugging on his tie.

"Niou, spit out that gum, we have to present soon." Jackal hissed from the other side.

Niou waved his hand, as if saying, 'Later'.

The group at the front started, after setting up all their equipment.

Marui looked down at his sleeves, and at how his hands were pulling on them. They might rip if he continued. Marui knew that his mother wouldn't appreciate him doing that.

He quickly separated his hands and placed them on the sides of his chair, gripping onto the seat instead. Marui looked back up at the projector screen, and tried to concentrate on the group's presentation.

"...Woah." Was all Marui could say after hearing just a few minutes of their presentation.

"They're good aren't they?" Jackal whispered into Marui's ear.

Marui swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. He slowly nodded, his eyes refused to be peeled off the screen.

"We're going after them?" Niou asked, now leaning forwards, his hands on his thighs.

"Mhm."

"Who are those guys?"

Marui shrugged. He had no idea.

"The top three students." Jackal answered.

_'Top three? There's such a thing?'_

"Yukimura Seiichi, Sanada Genichirou and Yanagi Renji." Jackal continued. "Apparently they are so good that they are known by important people all over Japan."

"I don't know them." Niou said, leaning back again.

"Important people Niou."

"What? I'm not important enough?"

"CEOs and stuff."

"Heh."

"We're screwed aren't we?" Marui whispered.

"Pretty much." Niou placed out a hand, palm facing the ceiling. "All die together?"

"Yeah." Jackal and Marui said in unison, slapping Niou's palm with their own.

Marui didn't remember much about how their presentation went. He just remembered that he didn't make a fool out of himself. And that Niou never did spit out that gum.

* * *

**A/N: I don't know how guys interact with each other. Absolutely nothing. So, if it's not what it's like. Please tell me, and I'll try to, I don't know, find out? **

**Did Marui's personality just take like a 180 degrees turn? Maybe.  
**

Like I said, the progression will be slow. Right now, they are like in between strangers and friends. Making progress? xD


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT.**

**Arctic Symmetry:** Mm...I'm not too sure about Jackal and the 3 Demons appearing again. Jackal might, but Yukimura, Sanada and Yanagi? Maybe I can somehow fit them into another chapter. We'll see. Also, I'm thinking that this is pretty Marui-centric isn't it? xD Yeah, it'll probably continue to be. I can probably make extra chapters or something which will be centered around them? Like it'll be in their point of view or something like that.

* * *

**Awkward Beginnings: Chapter 4  
**

Hands were firmly gripped onto the handles of the shopping bags. Marui stood behind the glass doors, that separated him from the tracks, waiting for the train to arrive. He peered into the shopping bags, double checking whether he had bought everything that his mother had asked him to.

_Shampoo. Check._

_Coloured paper. Check._

_Crayons. Check._

Marui mentally ticked off the list and looked up at the screen hanging off the ceiling of the station. 2 minutes more till the train arrives.

He noticed the handle of a tennis racket poking out from one of the bags. Placing the shopping bags in his right hand down onto the floor, letting them lean against his leg, Marui flexed his right wrist. He then lifted up his left hand and gripped the handle of the tennis racket with his right. Marui smiled. It felt so familiar.

_"The train arriving at Platform B will terminate its service at xxx. Please mind the platform gap."_

Marui hastily let go of the tennis racket and plucked the shopping bags off the floor, adjusting his grip so that they would not fall off.

Stepping on board the train, Marui glanced left and right, trying to find a place to sit. There was none. He then resorted to leaning against the side of the train, beside the door. Marui kept a firm grip on his shopping bags and looked out of the train windows on the opposite side.

If this was a shoujo manga. Marui would probably have either, tripped and fell, or get his clothes stuck in between the train doors.

No.

This was not a shoujo manga.

Marui did not fall on anyone, or on the floor. He also did not get groped by an old pervert and needed a knight in shining armour to save him. He wasn't a girl. And, this was not a manga.

However, Marui did spot Niou's easily noticeable silver hair in the next carriage. Niou was sitting beside one of the reserve seats, meant for the elderly, pregnant, injured or parent with a small child, iPod out, and ear buds in his ears. A young lady sat on the reserve seat, sleeping the day away, unaware that there was someone more in need of that seat standing beside her. Marui observed as Niou got up from his seat and offered it to an elderly hunchbacked man with a cane, repositioning himself, facing the direction that Marui was standing at, spotting a flash of red by the train doors in the other carriage.

Niou gave Marui a small wave, which Marui returned with a smile, since his hands were full. Marui watched as Niou held onto the bars on the train to stop himself from falling and made his way towards Marui.

The train suddenly jerked - probably hitting a bump on the tracks - and Marui instinctively dropped his shopping bags and grabbed hold of one of the metal bars. He did not notice that he had dropped the one of the heavy bags onto his foot. Marui glanced at Niou, who was muttering a "sorry" to another passenger. Marui guessed that Niou had probably bumped into her accidentally when the train jerked.

"Hey."

"Hi." Marui replied, tilting his head up to look at the taller male. He let go of the metal bar and shifted a little, making sure not to kick the shopping bags, for Niou to lean against the train's side, next to him.

"You do know that you have a shopping bag on your foot don't you?"

Marui looked down. Niou was right. Bending over a little, he picked it up and realised that that particular foot was getting numb.

"Ow." Marui muttered under his breath, lifting up his foot a little and tried to shake the numbness away.

"Shopping?" Niou asked, his earphone hanging around his shoulders instead of in his ears, like it previously was.

"Yeah."

"I see." Niou shoved his iPod into one of his back pockets.

There was silence. One of the awkward silences you get when you're stuck with someone who you don't really know. Yeah. Those ones.

It had been about a week since their research project and they hadn't been in contact with each other much. When they passed by each other in university, all they said was a greeting to each other and they went their separate ways.

Marui looked away from Niou and tried to focus on the view outside the window. They passed by multi-story buildings, parks, and car parks before they went into a tunnel. Marui fidgeted on the spot, flexing his fingers without dropping the bags and shifting his weight on one leg to the other.

Niou noticed something poking out from one of the shopping bags in Marui's hand and asked, "You play tennis?"

"Huh?"

Niou gestured with a tiny shake of his head at the tennis racket.

"Oh, no. Um, I used to. But no, this is for my brother. He joined the tennis club and needs a racket."

"Used to?"

"I was in the tennis club back in middle school."

"Really? I was too." Niou looked surprised.

Marui blinked. "Did you play in tournaments?"

"Nah. Wasn't a regular." Niou shook his head.

"Same here."

The train left the tunnel, and Marui spotted a familiar building outside the window.

"That's my old middle school." Marui said.

_Rikkai University Junior High School_

"Rikkai?" Niou mumbled.

Marui tilted his head to the side.

"I went there too." Niou said.

"Eh?" Marui blinked.

Niou let out a soft chuckle. "We probably didn't notice each other."

"Yeah," Marui agreed, "There were a lot of people in the school."

"The tennis club was humongous as well." Niou pointed out.

"I can't believe we studied for 3 years in the same school and didn't bump into each other at all." Marui laughed.

"Maybe we did, but forgot."

There was a rush of warm air from the heated station as the train doors opened. Niou shifted a little closer to Marui as he made way for other passengers to enter.

"That could be the case." Marui replied after the train started moving again.

"Wait...it is an escalator school, you did go to Rikkai's High School, right?" Niou asked.

"Yeah I did." Marui raised an eyebrow. "Most people did."

"Wow...this is weird." Niou placed a hand over his face and laughed.

"What?"

"Never mind." Niou removed his hand. "What year is your brother in? My brother studies at Rikkai too. Maybe they know each other."

"Oh, he's in his 1st year."

Niou didn't reply for a few seconds, making a low sound under his breath, probably thinking. "Probably not. Mine's in his 3rd year."

"Hmm..." Marui hummed. "This is so coincidental that it's freaky."

"Isn't it?" Niou laughed again. Niou suddenly stopped mid-laughter and leant forwards, twisting his upper body a bit to look at Marui directly in the face.

"Wh-what?" Marui was startled by the sudden action.

"You know...you haven't been stuttering around me lately."

"What?" Marui repeated.

"Remember? When you asked me whether I wanted to join your group?" Niou pulled himself back, leaning against the side of the train again. "You were stuttering. I thought that you were the shy type."

Marui darted his eyes around, racking through his memories. "Oh...that time..."

"Hm?"

Marui would have been rubbing the back of his neck if it wasn't for the shopping bags occupying his hands. "That was because I didn't know you then... I guess I only do that around strangers."

Marui wasn't so sure about his answer. He just felt more comfortable around Niou. Sure he didn't stutter when he was speaking to Jackal during the project, but Marui was certain that he would if he spoke to Jackal again.

"Heh..." Niou said. "So...the first impression scares?"

Marui recalled the first time he met Niou, before turning bright red. He had hit himself in the knee with a chair while trying to pick his bag off that particular chair. It definitely wasn't the most glorious first impression one could make.

Marui wondered if Niou remembered that incident, and replied with a weak, "...Maybe..."

Niou didn't mention that he had remembered how Marui fumbled when they first met.

Silence fell over the two teenagers again, besides the sound of bumping of the train wheels against the tracks.

However, unlike the first, it was a comfortable silence.

.~.

_"Next station, xx."_

Marui straightened up – he had been slouching a bit while leaning against the side of the train – and checked that he had all of his shopping bags in his hands. Niou noticed the slight movement and turned to Marui.

"Getting off?"

"Yeah," Marui looked up, into Niou's eyes, "So...see you tomorrow?"

Niou plucked his ear buds out of his ears again, looking up at the map above the train doors, and checked the name of the station with the blinking green light.

"Oh wait, it's my stop too."

_"xx, xx, Please mind the platform gap."_

The train slowed down to a stop and the two stumbled out, squeezing through the crowd that were trying to push them back further into the train rather than let them out. When the crowd cleared, Niou looked back at the train, which was beginning to set off, and growled.

"Damn people need to learn how to give way." Niou felt his back pocket to check whether his iPod was still there, patting it when he felt the small bump. He then turned to Marui.

"Marui, you okay?"

Marui blinked. "Hm, yeah, I'm all good." He then lifted up both hands to show that he had gotten all of his items. Both of them stood in the station for a while, just staring at each other, ignoring the new rush of crowd that were beginning to gather for the next train.

"What?" Niou finally broke the silence.

"What?" Marui replied dumbly.

"Why are we just standing here?"

"Eh?" Marui glanced around. "Oh right." He then started to make his way to the escalator, Niou following close behind.

Twisting his upper body around, Marui looked down at Niou – who was on the bottom step – and said, "This is just getting more and more freaky."

"What is?" Niou lifted his head up slightly, lifting up his right hand to point to the end of the escalator, telling Marui to look forwards, lest he trips.

Marui didn't respond until they were both out of the station, and on the breezy street. Marui stopped in the middle, completely forgetting that he was in the way of busy, annoyed, office workers – who were rushing back to their office after the lunch break.

"Oops!" Marui muttered, when he felt someone bump into him. He then carefully manoeuvred his way through the workers, and to an empty spot. Spinning on his heels, Marui craned his neck as he looked for Niou, who was currently out of sight.

_'Maybe he went off already.'_ Marui thought. He didn't really expect Niou to follow him for no reason, did he?

There was a tap on his shoulder. Marui turned and saw that it was Niou.

"Oh, um, hey?"

Niou raised an eyebrow and said, "Haven't we already completed the greetings?"

"Well, I thought you didn't follow me." Marui sheepishly replied.

Niou shrugged, placing both hands into his front pockets. "Normally I wouldn't, but you still haven't given a reply to my question."

Marui tilted his head to the side, like a dog when confused. "What question?"

"Did you forget? I asked what was so freaky?"

Marui formed an 'o' with his mouth. He had indeed forgotten. He remembered that he had something to tell Niou, but it had slipped off his mind for that tiny moment.

"Oh right." Marui felt his cheeks heat up. "I said that it was freaky because we went to the same school, both played tennis, have younger brothers, and live around the same area."

Niou stayed silent for a while. "Well, I have an older sister too. And..." He leant down, "What makes you think that I live around here?"

Marui saw Niou's mouth twitch around the corners, like someone suppressing a smile. "Maybe because you seem like you're trying not to laugh?"

Niou pulled back, a smile emerging on his face. "Ahh...is my poker face breaking?"

"Poker face?"

Niou simply gave Marui a secretive grin. He removed his hands from his pockets and placed them on the back of his head, turning away and said, "Got to go now. You might want to quickly go home with those shopping bags before your mother gets angry."

Marui looked down at the bags, finally remembering that his mother was waiting for him, and she didn't really have the best patience in the world. He looked back up and noticed that Niou was about a few metres away, and called out, "How did you know?"

Niou stopped walking and turned his head to look back at the red head, before grinning, "All mothers are like that." He then continued with his departure, this time, disappearing from sight.

Marui smiled, and turned away as well, walking off in the other direction, back home, where he'd probably feel the wrath of his impatient mother.

* * *

**A/N: I based the train announcements and stuff on Singapore's MRT announcements - at least, that's what I think they say, if my memory serves not to fail me. So yeah, I do not own anything. **

**Also, coincidences are actually possible. It's rare. But it's actually possible. Not that it happened to me. But yes, like Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye. You should watch their poem "An Origin Story". It's amazing. No, I am by no means related to them. - Just putting it there.  
**

And what. Marui and Niou play tennis but are not regulars?! That's impossible!


	5. Chapter 5

**Standard Disclaimers apply for this chapter and future chapters.**

Sorry for the late update! Here we go~

* * *

**Awkward Beginnings: Chapter 5**

Marui slyly looked at Niou from the corner of his eye. The silver head was sitting two seats to the right of him, occupied with his handphone. Recently, there had been a change in Marui's choice of seat in the lecture hall. Somehow, he felt drawn to sit at the back.

Marui didn't know when it started, but it happened. He realised that Niou only sat at the back, and when Marui did, Niou would sit beside him. Well, not really beside him, as Marui took up space for three people with his papers, like always. However, if Marui decided not to sit right at the back, Niou would not sit beside him, instead, going to the corner of the room, where Marui often saw him at, before he himself started sitting at the back.

"Niou," Marui whispered, making the silver head look up from his handphone.

"What?"

Whoops. Marui forgot to think about what he was going to ask the silver head. "Um…never mind, I forgot," He lied.

Niou gave Marui a weird look and went back to looking down at his handphone.

Marui watched Niou for a few seconds before turning back to the front, sighing. _'Great, now Niou will think that I'm weird.'_

"Niou," Marui whispered again.

"Hm?"

"Why do you only sit at the back row?"

"Huh?" Niou looked confused.

"You never sit anywhere else besides the back," Marui explained.

"Oh," Niou nodded a few times before stuffing his phone into his jeans pocket and moving over to the empty seat beside Marui.

"You see," Niou pointed somewhere in the front. "That girl over there?"

Marui tried to spot what Niou was pointing to, but there were too many girls in the direction of Niou's finger that he could only shake his head.

"The one with the Macbook?" Niou described. "The pink case?"

Marui formed an 'o' with his mouth and nodded, spotting who Niou was talking about.

"You can see what she's doing right? She's on Facebook," Niou continued.

Marui continued nodding, not seeing how this had something to do with his question.

"Yeah, that's why."

"Huh?" Marui said.

Niou put his hand down, letting it hang by his side, fingers occasionally brushing against the legs of the chair. "I don't want people behind me to see what I'm doing," He shrugged. "That's all."

"Oh," Marui muttered. That made sense.

Marui looked back at the slideshow at the front, and picked up his pen, taking down a few notes here and there. He had expected Niou to move back to his original seat but the silver head didn't move, instead, staying beside Marui, handphone out again.

Marui couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his face.

.~.

Niou stood at the aisle as he waited for Marui to finish packing his bag. Students flowed past the silver head as they left the lecture hall. Not long after, the two were the only ones in there.

"Sorry Niou," Marui muttered as he quickly slung his bag over his shoulder, briskly walking over to where Niou was.

"It's 'kay," Niou shrugged.

Marui shivered slightly when they exited the heated lecture hall. Niou stretched his hands above his head and sighed.

"I'm so tired…studying really makes you sleepy, doesn't it?" Niou grumbled.

Marui laughed before replying, "You didn't even listen to the lecturer, what on Earth are you talking about?"

"Hey!" Niou protested, causing Marui to laugh again.

"Ah," Niou suddenly said, and Marui tilted his head slightly to the side. "I have 2 more hours to spare before my next lecture, want to go to the café for a bit?"

Marui blinked and opened his mouth, before closing it again.

"Oh, do you have something else to do?" Niou asked, placing his hands in his pockets.

Marui shook his head and replied with a, "No!"

Niou chuckled before turning, "Let's go then."

Marui smiled, bringing his hand up to his bag strap and grabbed it, before following Niou. On the way, Marui looked down at the ground, or rather, at Niou's shoes. The silver head was wearing hightops, mainly black, with silver strips on it.

"Are my shoes that fascinating?" He heard Niou's voice and quickly snapped his head up, cheeks turning red and he tried to come up with some weird excuses in his mind. The silver head was still walking, looking directly in front of him. Marui wonders if Niou had eyes on the back of his head or something.

"Why are you walking behind me?" This time, Niou stopped, and swirled around, facing Marui.

"Can't I?" Marui brought his hand that was clasping his bag strap down by his side and tried to look nonchalant.

Niou didn't reply for a few seconds, his face also void of any expressions, and Marui was inwardly frantic as he wondered whether he had said something wrong. Then, the sides of Niou's lips tugged up into a smile and said, "Fair enough."

Marui felt his worries disappear and let out a soft chuckle, before the two started their walk again, this time, Marui walked on Niou's left.

.~.

The café was warm and was filled with chatter from the other university students, who were probably like Niou, spending their spare time with their friends in a café. The two managed to grab a table beside the coffee coloured wall and Niou immediately opened one of the two menus that was on the table top. Marui gently placed his bag on the floor by his feet and opened the remaining menu, browsing through the various options of scrumptious looking food.

"May I take your order?" A young male, probably just one or two years younger than Marui himself, with black curly hair and bored green eyes asked, holding a pen and a notepad in his hands. He looked like the type who only took up a part-time job because his parents forced him to.

Niou looked up from the menu and placed it flat down on the table before rattling out his order. Marui heard pen scratch along paper and he continued to browse through the menu.

"And you?" The waiter asked, the hand with the pen was brought up and he was using it to scratch his head.

"Um," Marui muttered, his eyes darting around the pages before stopping on one picture. "I'll have the croissant with bacon and eggs and a cup of coffee."

"Do you want milk in your coffee?" The waiter asked, after writing Marui's order down.

"No thanks," Marui smiled, snapping the menu shut and placing it on top of the one that Niou used.

The waiter then picked up the menus and walked away. Marui placed his elbows on the table top and rested his head on his palms, staring straight ahead at Niou who was sitting opposite him. Niou mimicked Marui's action and both of them just stared at each other, icy blue against violet.

"What is it?" Marui asked, his chin hitting his palms with every syllable.

"What is it?" Niou copied, like a parrot.

Marui rolled his eyes but a smile crept up on his face. Niou grinned.

"Very mature Niou," Marui said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Very mature Niou," Niou echoed. Marui thought that Niou would continue but the silver head pushed away from the table, leaning back in his chair.

"I thought only elementary students would do something like that," Marui shook his head, placing his hands down onto the table.

Niou placed a hand over his chest and faked a gasp. "Marui, did you think I was an old grumpy grandpa in this young body of mine? I'm a kid at heart!"

Marui let out a laugh and responded with, "I don't see how your body is young with that hair of yours."

"My hair's silver, not white," Niou raised an eyebrow. "Okay with your colours there?"

Marui stopped laughing and stared at Niou with wide eyes. "Sorry! Did I offend you? I was joking!"

Niou leant forwards and flicked Marui in the forehead, making the red head clasp his hand over his forehead. Niou leant backwards again and shook his head.

"I wasn't serious," he said.

Marui rubbed his forehead for a few seconds before bringing his hand down. "Oh," he muttered.

"Do you always take things seriously?" Niou asked, his head had a slight tilt to the side as he looked at Marui.

Marui avoided Niou's eyes and looked down at the table. "I guess…my friends never really joked with me."

_'If they were even my friends in the first place.'_

It was partly his own fault anyways, for not joining in their conversations by himself, instead waiting for others to invite him. It wasn't much of a problem in elementary school, but in middle and high school, if you stay silent, others would think that you'd rather be alone and therefore, leave you alone. Marui was in a way lucky that he even had 'friends' in high school.

"Hmm…" Niou nodded his head. "You'll get used to it," he grinned.

"Eh?" Marui blinked, surprised.

"I try, emphasize on try, to joke. So, as you hang around with me, you'll eventually get used to it," he explained.

Marui recalled Niou's attempt at replying to his "'Sup", and suppressed a laugh.

Wait.

"We'll hang out?" Marui asked.

Niou gave Marui a weird look, thinking that the red head was just joking, but he started to frown when he realised that Marui was not.

"You don't want to?"

"Eh? No, no, that's not what I meant," Marui shook his head.

"What do you mean then?" Niou sat up straight, his gaze boring holes into Marui's body.

"Are we…what you say…friends?" Marui finally said.

Niou continued staring at Marui and Marui slowly looked up, meeting Niou's gaze.

"I don't know, aren't we?" Niou asked.

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking," Marui replied, his hands gripping the fabric of his pants.

Niou stayed silent for a while, before moving his gaze towards the wall. The silver head picked up the bottle of pepper on the side of the table and played with it for a bit. Marui thought that he was going to die from the silence.

"I guess we are," Niou finally answered, placing the bottle of pepper back down onto the table. "Why not?" Niou shrugged, facing Marui again. "There's this saying, "more the merrier". So…the more friends you have, the merrier you are?"

"Pft," Marui couldn't stop a laugh from escaping his lips. Seeing Niou's reaction, Marui couldn't take it any longer and started to burst into laughter.

"Hey…I'm being serious here," Niou tried to frown, but failed, as Marui saw the corners of his lips tugging upwards.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Marui choked out in between laughter, "it's just…the example you used!"

"Okay, okay, I know it wasn't the best, but it wasn't THAT funny…"

Marui clutched his stomach and continued laughing.

Niou sighed, and slouched down in his seat. "I'm going to ignore you now…"

Marui took a few seconds to compose himself before shooting a big smile at Niou. "I'm just glad that we're friends."

And Niou smiled back.

.~.

Marui stepped into his house and shrugged his shoes off.

"I'm home!"

"Welcome back, Bunta," his mother said, walking out into the living room with a cloth in her hands.

"Weren't you meant to be back 2 hours ago?" She asked, her eyes watching Marui slump down onto the couch, feet up on the coffee table.

"Huh?" Marui shifted around, hands scavenging the area for the television remote. "Oh, I forgot to call you, I was hanging out with Niou while he was waiting for his next lecture to start."

"Niou?" There was a hint of confusion in his mother's voice.

Marui looked up, pausing in his search for the remote and smiled at his mother. "Niou's my friend."

Marui then went back to his search, muttering incomprehensible words under his breath. His mother stood rooted to the ground, the cloth nearly falling out of her grasp. She looked at her son lovingly and thought, _'I'm glad that you've found a friend Bunta.'_

Shaking her head at the red head who was now on all fours, peering under the couch, looking for the remote, she turned and walked back into the kitchen, a smile on her face.

* * *

**A/N: They are finally friends! I suck at small talk. What Marui and Niou say to each other are probably what I would say in real life. Yes, my humour stinks. I'm socially awkward - is that sad? **


	6. Chapter 6

**Awkward Beginnings: Chapter 6**

_"Hey, what do you want to drink?"_

_"Ehh? I don't know, I want something warm, it's so cold today!"_

Marui was listening to the conversation between two girls and felt Niou nudge his leg under the table. That snapped Marui out of the two girls' conversation and he asked, "What?"

"Don't listen into other people's conversation, especially girls, what are you, a pervert?"

Marui's jaw dropped open and his hand that was supporting his head fell down onto his lap. His cheeks flushed red and he stammered, "W-what are you talking about?!"

Niou rolled his eyes, and took a sip of his coffee. On the table laid an open textbook, and the silver head flipped over to the next page. He then hunched over the book and started to study again, like he was before he realised that Marui was being an eavesdropper.

"Niou!"

Said person just ignored Marui, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Niou, I know that you can hear me. I'm less than a metre away from you," Marui said, picking up a napkin on the side of the table and chucked it towards Niou, landing on the page that Niou was reading.

Niou glanced up, and Marui grinned, thinking that he had finally gotten Niou's attention. However, Marui's grin disappeared when Niou picked the napkin up, and placed it back gently down on the table top, away from his textbook, and started to immerse himself into the wonders of psychology again.

Huffing, Marui folded his arms and slouched down in his chair, watching Niou. The two were sitting in the café, their hang out area in the university campus – as there were food, free Wi-Fi, and air-conditioning or heating during cold weather. Niou was busy studying for a test and all Marui could do was sit there in silence. He could have gone home, but Marui thought that Niou might want some company of some sort. Thus, he stayed, leading to the conversation of the two girls, and Niou calling him a pervert.

"I'm bored, and since you're just going to ignore me, I'm going to eat."

Marui raised his hand, waiting for the waiter to come over to their table.

"Are you a pig?" Niou muttered, eyes still fixed on his textbook.

Marui opened his mouth and was going to comment on how Niou only spoke to him to insult him when the waiter arrived. It was the same waiter that Marui saw every Friday. The younger boy with curly black hair and the bored green eyes. Niou and Marui had been frequenting the café so often that Marui even knew the names of the waiters and waitresses working there – they had nametags.

Kirihara Akaya, was the name of the curly haired waiter.

"How may I help you?" he drawled, hands holding a notepad and a pen hung down by his sides.

"I'll have a chicken sa-alad!" Marui said his order, while crossing his legs under the table, accidentally hitting his ankle against metal bar underneath. Kirihara nodded and walked away, writing as he left.

Niou looked up and raised his eyebrow, before he was sucked back into the world of psychology. Marui reached down and rubbed his ankle.

"Ow," Marui muttered, "I hate these things, they're killers."

"Yeah, maybe for clumsy people," Niou replied.

"Are you really just going to insult me all day?"

Niou made a slight movement with his shoulders, Marui couldn't tell whether it was a shrug or just a movement. Since Niou was busy studying, and Marui had already bothered the silver head more than enough, the red head sat there in silence, tapping his fingers against the table top in a rhythmic pattern, a song playing in his head. Marui looked out of the window, watching students wrapped up in their coats and scarves, shivering as they walked past. He felt lucky to be in the warm and cosy café, even when his friend was too busy to entertain him.

Marui heard a _thump_ and turned around. What he expected to see was a plate of chicken salad. However, the item in front of him was a glass of chocolate sundae. Marui opened his mouth and was about to call for the waiter, but the waiter had already left. So, he sat there, staring at the chocolate sundae. The longer Marui stared at it, the stronger the temptation to eat it. But Marui knew that he couldn't.

"What's wrong?" Niou asked, slamming his textbook shut, reaching down into his bag to pull out a file.

"I didn't order this," Marui answered, still staring at the scrumptious looking chocolate sundae.

"Then just tell the workers," Niou suggested, flipping through his file.

"But," Marui said, "what do I say?"

Niou paused in his motion and looked at Marui curiously. "Just tell them that you received the wrong order."

"Mm…" Marui shifted uneasily in his seat. "Okay…" he said, albeit reluctantly.

Niou sighed, before raising his hand. Kirihara walked over and asked in a monotonous voice, "How may I help you?"

"Um, we didn't order that," Niou said, pointing towards the chocolate sundae. Kirihara's eyes followed Niou's finger and replied, "Oh. Just give me a moment."

Kirihara walked away, and Marui watched as the boy tapped another waiter on the shoulder, engaging in a whispered conversation. Marui saw both waiters nod a few times, and Kirihara returned.

"There's nothing wrong with the order, you ordered a chocolate sundae," he said.

Niou glanced at Marui, and the red head shook his head. "No, my friend here said that he didn't order it."

"I ordered a chicken salad," Marui chipped in.

Kirihara frowned, and opened his mouth to speak, when an older male walked up towards their table.

"Did our employee do something wrong?" the male asked, a badge on his uniform told Marui that he was the manager.

"No, um, we just received the wrong order," Niou answered.

The manager turned to face Kirihara and the curly haired boy shook his head. The older male moved his attention back on Niou.

"What did you order and what did you receive?"

"We ordered a chicken salad, and we received a chocolate sundae," Niou replied, gesturing towards the chocolate sundae sitting on the table top. The manager glanced back at Kirihara and said, "I'm very sorry for our mistake, we'll fix that order right away." He gestured towards Kirihara to retrieve the chocolate sundae and the younger boy did that, before bowing apologetically and leaving.

"Now that wasn't too hard," Niou said, when the two left.

"It's hard for me!" Marui hissed back, "I've never done anything like that before!"

"But thank you," he added.

Niou smiled and said, "No problem." He looked down at his notes neatly filed into his file and sighed.

"Hm?" Marui questioned.

"I'm so going to fail this."

Marui picked up a napkin and unfolded it. "No you won't."

"What are you doing with that napkin? And yes I will, nothing is sinking in," Niou sighed again.

"Come on, you've been studying for the past…what 3 hours? Something must have gone in. Be positive."

"You're not exactly a positive person too." Niou threw a napkin at Marui. Marui looked up from his napkin that he had unfolded, and shrugged.

"I think everyone just says that they would fail before they sit a test."

Niou placed his elbow on the table and rested his head on his palm. "Yeah I guess so."

"In this case, you're that person who's being negative, and I'm the positive friend. Not a really convincing one though."

Niou laughed, and said, "Yeah you kind of suck at it."

"I can't believe that I sat here for 3 hours doing nothing besides watching you study and eavesdropping on other people's conversation, only to get insulted by you."

"Oh?" Niou grinned, "So you admit that you've been eavesdropping?"

Marui tried to fold a crane with the napkin, but it ended up looking more like a wingless bird. "Yes, yes I have."

"On girls?" Niou wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"On everyone in earshot basically," Marui replied, ignoring Niou's taunt.

Niou rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Tch, no fun."

"Here you go, one chicken salad." Kirihara stood beside their table, holding a plate of chicken salad. Marui and Niou moved their things out of the way and Kirihara placed the plate down. "We're very sorry for the inconvenience."

"It's alright," Marui said, picking up a fork and stabbed into the plate. When Kirihara was out of earshot, Niou looked at his wristwatch and said, "I need to go in half an hour."

Marui looked up, his mouth full and nodded. "Yeah, just let me finish eating this," he said, after swallowing.

"You don't need to rush you know," Niou said.

"Yeah I know, but I want to go with you, it's on the way to the exit anyways."

Niou smiled and shook his head. "You weirdo."

"You know that," Marui nodded, waving his fork in the air.

"Okay," Niou muttered, "some more last minute cramming, here I go."

"Good luck!" Marui encouraged, a lettuce hanging out of his mouth.

Niou let out a laugh at the sight before focusing on his notes.

.~.

Marui stood at the side of the table, his bag on his shoulders. Niou bent down and stuffed his file and textbook into his sling bag, pulling on the strap and pushed his chair back, standing up. As he did so, he accidentally knocked against the metal bar underneath the table and cursed softly.

Marui clutched his stomach and laughed.

Niou glared at the red head and hissed through his teeth, "Shut up!"

"Karma for saying that I'm clumsy!" Marui continued laughing. Niou rolled his eyes and pushed his chair in.

"I'm leaving." Niou started to walk towards the exit, with Marui stumbling behind him, still in fits of laughter. Niou tugged his coat closer to his body when he exited the warm café, into the cold. The silver head sped up, moving in the direction to where his test would be held.

"Niou wait up!" Niou heard Marui calling him from behind and stopped, spinning around on his heels. Marui jogged to catch up and said, "Don't leave me behind…"

"Maybe if you didn't laugh so much…" Niou left the sentence hanging.

Marui pouted and replied, "You've been insulting me the whole day! Can't I just laugh at something?"

Niou sighed. "Fine."

Marui's face lit up and he grinned widely.

"Now let's get going, I don't want to be late."

"Okay~" Marui chimed, walking alongside the silver head.

.~.

"Good luck!" Marui called out, giving Niou a wave.

"Don't be so loud idiot," Niou hissed, flicking Marui on the forehead. "It's just a test."

"But it's fun."

"What are you, a kid? I thought that I was the only one who was young at heart here."

Marui smiled a toothy smile and nodded furiously. "Yup! I'm a kid!"

Niou shook his head and smiled. "I'm going in, see you."

"Bye! And good luck!" Marui repeated, this time, a little louder, drawing the attention of some students passing by and Marui clamped his palm over his mouth, embarrassed.

"I told you not to be so loud," Niou smiled, "but thanks." With that, he turned and walked away.

Marui watched Niou's back for a few moments before making his way out of the university campus. He didn't know why, but even after being insulted so much by the silver head, just a tiny "thanks" from Niou could make him smile like a kid who had received a new toy…

* * *

**A/N: Hello.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Awkward Beginnings: Chapter 7**

"Why are we here again?" Niou drawled, leaning against a glass panel circling the 5th floor of the shopping mall, elbows on the metal bar at the top, as he tilted his head backwards and stared up at the high ceiling. Marui stood beside him, face buried within the pages a glossy catalogue.

Large banners hung down from the top of the ceiling, filled with Christmas wishes and advertisements by various companies. Niou didn't get why they were decorating shopping malls and streets with Christmas presents more than a _month_ before the holiday itself. Niou turned around and leaned forwards on the metal bar, letting his arms hang down on the other side, above the heads of shoppers down at the 1st floor.

"To get Christmas presents for my family, I told you," Marui mumbled, flipping through the pages as his eyes scoured the catalogue for an appropriate gift.

"But Christmas is ages away, why are you shopping now?" Niou groaned. "Also, why am I here with you?"

Marui looked up from the dreaded catalogue and replied, "'Cause…I need help."

"But-" Niou shifted around so that he was facing the red head, "-wouldn't it be better to get help from like, I don't know – I'm just stereotyping here – girls?" He then pointed towards himself. "Do I look like a great shopper with loads of advice to you?"

Something flashed across Marui's eyes.

The red head folded the catalogue and tucked it under his arm, shoving his hands into his coat pockets and shrugged, looking away to the side, avoiding eye contact with Niou. "You can go home if you want, you know… I'm not forcing you or anything."

_'It's just, I don't know anyone else besides you, other than my family (and that's out of the question), who can help me.'_

Niou observed Marui behaviour but didn't utter a single sound.

Marui fidgeted and pulled his hands out of his pockets, clenching the catalogue tightly in his right hand before giving Niou a slight wave. "I'll, um, just go in there-" he pointed towards a random store on their left, "-and um, yeah see you."

Marui started walking towards the entrance of the store when he felt a hand grab his wrist. Marui jerked and spun around, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he saw Niou's face merely a centimetre away from his own.

"Wh-what?" he stammered, pulling his hand away and took a step back. A shopper, carrying carriage loads of shopping bags grumbled at Marui as she manoeuvred around him, careful not to drop her bags. Marui glanced away from Niou for a moment and whispered a "sorry" to the female who obviously could not hear him, as she was already too far away to hear such a muted voice.

"You know that that's a lingerie store right?"

Marui spun around and felt his cheeks get hot. There, on display, staring right at Marui's face, were mannequins donning bright, blood red lingerie (Christmas colours were 'hot' at that time). _'Dammit! I nearly walked into that?'_

"I'm guessing that's a no."

"Of course not!" Marui turned back to face Niou, face still flushed red. "Why in the world would I walk into such a store?"

"Maybe you suddenly had the impulse to buy your mother something…" Niou wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Marui lightly punched Niou in the arm and shook his head.

"Stop making everything seem dirty."

"But that's the fun in life." Niou lifted his hands up in the air as if surrendering.

"There are limits. Including mothers, or family members, into those statements is way past the limit." Marui paused. "Aren't you going to go home?"

Niou's expression changed from a playful one to an unreadable one. He stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and shrugged. "Do you want me to?"

"Um." Marui fidgeted around. "If…you want to…"

"Marui." Marui heard Niou's voice and looked up, however, still avoiding the silver head's eyes. "I'm asking you whether you want me to or not."

Seconds ticked by before Marui slowly shook his head.

Niou smiled and the tense atmosphere vanished. "Shall we continue then?"

Marui blinked and opened and closed his mouth repeatedly like a goldfish. "But I thought that you didn't want to shop?"

Niou rolled his head in a clockwise direction and said, "It's not my preference, but, you need help don't you?"

Marui's face lit up and he nodded. Tapping his finger against his chin, he glanced around the shopping mall and said, "I think there's a video game store over there."

Niou took his left hand out of his pocket and mocked a salute. "Onwards!"

Marui laughed before the two took off, running like a bunch of children on a sugar high, avoiding couples, shopaholics, and families along the way.

.~.

Marui sidestepped like a crab as he browsed the shelves of various video games. His younger brother, Ken, was getting to the age where he was interested in more _mature and violent_ games. Marui wonders if he should really be introducing his younger brother to such genres but decided, _'What the heck, he'll get there at some stage. Might as well be a damn nice older brother and bring him into that world at a young and tender age of 12.'_

Niou was squatting somewhere in the store, in front of the game cards, rubbing his chin and humming under his breath at intervals. A young boy saw him and stumbled over to the silver haired, squealing in delight and started to latch onto his clothes and pull his hair. "Santa! Santa!" the child squealed.

Niou groaned softly and tried to pry the young child's hands off him, but to no avail; that boy had a grip tighter than a bear's.

"Santa! Santa!" the boy repeated over and over again like a broken recorder.

With his hair threatening to be ripped off his scalp, Niou composed himself and tried to reason with the boy gently.

"Look kid, I'm not Santa," he bluntly said. The word 'gently' just flew out of the window.

The young boy slowly loosened his grip and Niou took the chance to escape, jumping straight up and stared down at the boy.

"…not Santa?" the boy whimpered, tears started to form in his eyes.

Niou didn't seem to notice and tapped his foot, running his fingers through his hair – fixing it. "No kid, I'm not Santa."

However, he did notice the young boy burst out into tears; the high-pitch scream of the child alerted many other passer-bys, Marui included. Marui quickly made his way through shelves of video games towards Niou.

"What happened?" he asked, blinking as he glanced back and forth between Niou and the crying child.

Niou did not need to explain as the kid started screaming, "Santa," while pointing at Niou.

"Santa?" Marui asked, confusion written across his face.

Maybe Niou did need to explain after all.

"Kid thinks I'm Santa, and I just told him I wasn't, and he started crying," said Niou. He looked around and saw adults looking at the two teenagers disapprovingly. "Okay, we've got to shut him up."

The child started to cry louder.

"Don't say it like that," hissed Marui.

Niou cursed under his breath and squatted down. He started to pat the child on the head and asked, "Where are your parents?"

His actions seemed to have pacified the crying child, even so, the young boy did not answer Niou's question.

"Kid?"

The young boy looked up at Niou's eyes and reached a hand up to tug onto the silver strands again.

"Ouch kid! Stop that!"

Marui pondered over whether he should step in to help his friend, or leave him to deal with it himself. As a brother of two, Marui felt that it would be better if he had helped, but then again, Niou did say that he had a younger brother of his own, so Marui decided to stand there quietly like an inanimate object.

It wasn't everyday that he could see Niou being attacked by a young child.

Niou finally managed to escape the kid's death grip for the second time and he started to pat the back pocket of his jeans. To Marui's surprise, Niou pulled out a small piece of candy and handed it over to the kid.

"Eat this. Don't cry."

"Santa!" the kid exclaimed, before snatching the candy out of Niou's hands. "Thank you Santa!" The young boy had a smile so bright that Marui smiled himself.

Niou sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair again, untangling knots that managed to form. "I told you…I'm not Santa. Why do you even think I'm Santa?"

The young boy blinked up at Niou innocently. "…white hair." He pointed. "Santa!"

Marui swallowed a laugh. Niou glanced at Marui and gave him the most ridiculous look ever. This time, Marui laughed out loud.

"Shut up," he heard Niou mutter, but continued to laugh anyway.

"Kid, look at me," Marui heard Niou say; the silver head giving up on his friend. "This hair here is not white. It's silver, silver."

"Sil..ver?"

"Yes, it's silver. Remember that." Niou nodded, face resembling an old and stern teacher. "Santa has white hair and a beard remember?"

The young boy nodded, listening intensively to Niou. His mouth was slightly open as his eyes looked up at Niou in awe.

"So you see, I-" Niou pointed towards himself, "-am not Santa. You get it?"

There was a brief silence. The young boy looked at the candy in his hand and back up at Niou, who had his head slightly tilted to the side.

"But present," the child said, referring to the candy which Niou gave him, "Santa gives presents."

"Santa gives presents on the night of Christmas Eve. It's not Christmas Eve yet. So it can't be Santa. This-" Niou pointed at the candy, "-is a present from me."

"…not Santa?"

Niou shook his head. "Not Santa," he replied in confirmation.

"Oh." The young boy looked disappointed.

Afraid that he was going to start crying again, Niou quickly added, "But Santa will come to your house and give you a present on Christmas if you're a good boy."

The young boy nodded and clenched the candy tightly in his palm.

Niou breathed a sigh of relief, and asked again, "Kid, where are your parents?"

The child swirled around and went on his tippy-toes, in search for his parents. He turned back towards Niou and shrugged. "Don't know."

"So you're lost?"

"…lost?"

"Never mind." Niou stood up and gestured towards Marui. "We have to bring him to the Lost and Found."

"Uh…yeah," Marui replied.

Niou glanced down at the child and said, "We're going to go and find your parents okay?" He then held out his hand for the child to hold. The young boy looked confused but nodded and grabbed Niou's hand with his own.

Niou started to walk out of the store when he heard Marui exclaim, "Wait!"

Looking back at his friend, Niou raised an eyebrow to ask why and Marui lifted up the two cases of video games in his hands.

"Just let me pay for these first!"

Niou rolled his eyes and kept watch on the young boy as they both waited for Marui.

.~.

The young boy, Tomoki Yuta, had became quite attached to Niou by the time his mother came to collect him at the Lost and Found. Marui found it quite amusing to see Tomoki refuse to let go of Niou and how Niou casted apologetic glances towards the child's mother.

"Kid, let go, your mum's here," said Niou, but Tomoki's horrible death grip – Niou could never forget the pain he felt – was on his shirt, and he loved his shirt thank you very much, not to mention, he did not want to walk around the mall shirtless because a little child ripped his shirt off while he tried to peel said child off him.

"Don't wanna! I want to stay with Niou-nii!" screamed Tomoki.

"Yuta-chan…" Tomoki's mother was nearly in tears as she watched her child clinging on so tightly to a stranger while ignoring her.

"I'll give you another candy if you let go of me," Niou tried to make a deal with Tomoki. _'Please let me have another piece of candy in my pocket!'_

"No!"

_'Dammit!'_

Niou shot a glare at Marui who was looking so content at the side.

_Help me_, Niou mouthed, but Marui's smile widened and the red head shrugged.

Niou squeezed his eyes shut and suppressed a growl. The gears in his mind started to turn and grind against each other.

_Santa…present…good boy…_

"Kid, you'll be a bad boy if you don't let go of me."

Tomoki tilted his head to the side, but death grip remained a death grip.

"And if you're a bad boy, Santa won't give you a present on Christmas," Niou continued.

The death grip disappeared. The crinkles that remained on Niou's shirt was the only reminder of the death grip.

"Do you want a present?" Niou asked, bending over so that he was looking at Tomoki directly in the eye.

Tomoki nodded vigorously.

Niou reached over and ruffled the young boy's hair. "Then go back to your mother and don't get lost again."

"Will I get a present?"

"If you do that, Santa will give you a present because you're a good boy."

"…Okay!"

Niou smiled and straightened up as he watched Tomoki rush over to his mother's side, clutching onto her long skirt.

"Remember to be a good boy okay?" Niou asked.

"Mm!" Tomoki nodded happily.

"Thank you so much," said Tomoki's mother as she bowed.

"Ah, no, it's no problem at all," Niou replied, bowing back slightly.

"Hm…you handed that pretty well," Marui said, walking over to Niou. The silver head was trying to smoothen his shirt, but to no avail; Tomoki's death grip had got to be the strongest he'd seen.

"No thanks to you," mumbled Niou.

Marui laughed. "Sorry."

"It was funny," he added.

"And I'm helping you with your Christmas shopping too," grumbled Niou, folding his arms across his chest.

"I'll…treat you?"

"Häagen-Dazs' ice-cream and we'd have a deal."

_'Ice-cream…'_ Marui thought. _'Of all things…'_

"Marui?" Niou asked as Marui was taking a little too long to reply.

"Huh?" Marui muttered. Niou looked at him. "Oh, um, fine. Häagen-Dazs it is."

"Sweet."

_'Sweet…eh?'_

"It's cold though," Marui said. It _was_ Winter.

"Ice-cream is nicer during cold weather," Niou replied. "Let's go!"

When Marui didn't move immediately, Niou grabbed his wrist and started to drag him towards the escalator.

"Do you even know where the store is?" asked Marui.

"Yeah, second-floor, I go there all the time."

Marui made a low sound. "So you like ice-cream?"

Niou looked at him as if he had gone mad. "Well, why else would I go there all the time?"

"Never mind."

Marui watched silently as Niou half-ran into the store; Marui followed at a slower pace.

"Which one do you want?" Marui questioned. Niou pointed at the 'Caramel Cone'. Marui stepped forwards and said, "One caramel cone please."

"Aren't you getting any yourself?" Niou asked when Marui handed over a few dollar bills to the cashier.

"I…er…don't like ice-cream," lied Marui and he hoped that Niou wouldn't question any further. To his relief, Niou didn't.

To be on the safe side, Marui decided to change the topic as they left the store. "You'd make a great dad."

"Huh?" Niou glanced at Marui, ice-cream cone in his hand.

"The way you handled Tomoki, it was good."

"Oh, that kid?" Niou took a bite of his ice-cream. "It was fine I guess."

"Like I said, you'd make a great dad in the future."

Niou looked at Marui and smiled as if to say, 'if-I'll-have-any'.

Marui blinked and wonders if he had interpreted the smile wrongly. "What?"

Niou shook his head and said, "Nothing."

.~.

They were about to head home after getting everything on Marui's Christmas shopping list when the two teenagers heard a song playing on the stereos in a particular music store.

"Ah," Marui uttered. He started to hum the tune softly under his breath.

"You know this song?" Niou asked.

"Yeah, Owaranai Ai by Rikkai Young Kan; it's one of my favourites."

Niou's eyes widened for a second and he replied with a smile, "Hey, mine too!"

"Really?" Marui was shocked. The two raced towards the music store and Niou pointed at a poster on the wall.

"Rikkai Young Kan has a new album," said Niou. The silver head tapped his fingers on a wooden surface in rhythm to the music playing and Marui felt a sense of déjà vu.

It was the same rhythm that Niou was tapping when they first met.

"Ah there it is," Niou exclaimed, picking up an album from the shelf: _Soul Mate_. "I have this album, it's really good."

Marui grabbed another of the same album off the shelf and looked at it. "I don't have it yet…"

"I see," Niou contemplated.

"They are such a good band, if only they have more albums," said Marui.

"Yeah…it'll be great."

Marui frowned and placed the album back onto the shelf. He didn't have enough money to purchase it, having spent most of his allowance on the Christmas presents for his family.

"Aren't you getting it?"

Marui shook his head. "I can't."

Niou bit his bottom lip and swirled around, making his way to the cashier, album still in his hand.

"Niou? What are you doing?" Marui quickly walked towards his friend. "Didn't you say that you already have this album? Why are you buying it again?"

Niou kept silent, ignoring Marui's questions and walked out of the store, plastic bag in hand. Marui followed in confusion. The moment he exited the store, Niou lifted up the bag in front of him and said, "For you."

Marui blinked rapidly. "Huh?" he said dumbly.

"Christmas present." Niou grabbed Marui's hand and placed the bag into the red head's hand. "One hell of an early one though."

Marui spluttered like a fish out of water. "Wha-huh? A-are you sure?"

"What? Do you want me to gift wrap it in Christmas wrapping and hand it to you on Christmas Day? It won't be much of a surprise anymore," Niou said sarcastically. "Of course I'm sure."

He whacked Marui lightly on the head. "Just take it."

Marui nodded, still a little shocked. "Thank you."

Niou smiled. "You're welcome." He stretched his hands in the air. "Now let's head home. You have a load of things to wrap don't cha? Don't want to be tardy for Christmas."

Marui laughed and rolled his eyes. "There's still a month left Niou. It wouldn't take me an hour to finish wrapping these up."

"Who knows how slow you are." Niou imitated an old man and Marui laughed harder.

"Says the one with white hair."

"Hey! It's silver. Silver!" Niou pretended to lunge at Marui and the red head started to sprint down the mall.

"You can't catch me oldie!" he said, still laughing.

"We'll see about that."

The mall was filled with the laughter of these two teenagers as they chased each other around the mall, that was, until they were told to stop by an annoyed shopper who had a security guard in tow.

Oops.

* * *

**A/N: I've not updated this in a while. My apologies.**


End file.
